Price County Fair 2026: 140 Years of Tradition in Phillips, WI

By Price County Fun Editorial Team | Price County, Wisconsin

Mark your calendars — the Price County Fair returns to Phillips on August 20-22, 2026, and this year marks a milestone: 140 years.

Rooted in the agricultural heritage of northern Wisconsin, the fair has been bringing together families, 4-H members, exhibitors, and neighbors for well over a century. What started small in a logging-era county has grown into one of the signature community events in Price County, with livestock shows, demolition derbies, carnival rides, fair food, and the kind of small-town atmosphere that makes it worth the trip.

Fair Dates and Location

The 2026 Price County Fair runs Thursday, August 20 through Saturday, August 22 at the fairgrounds in Phillips, Wisconsin. The fairgrounds are located in the downtown Phillips, Price County’s seat, roughly a two-hour drive north of Wausau and about three hours from the Twin Cities — an easy day trip or weekend getaway for anyone in northern Wisconsin or the Upper Peninsula.

Admission and Pricing

Pricing is split between the Community & Senior Day on Thursday and the main weekend days. Here’s the breakdown:

Thursday, August 20 – Community & Senior Day

General Admission: $10
Seniors (65+): $5
All-Day Ride Pass: $20
Ages 2 & Under: Free

Friday, August 21 & Saturday, August 22

General Admission: $15
All-Day Ride Pass: $25
Ages 2 & Under: Free
Grandstand Events: Included with admission

Three-Day Pass (Thursday-Saturday)

General Admission: $30
All-Day Ride Pass: $60
Grandstand Events: Included with admission

Note that the three-day pass covers admission, rides, and grandstand, making it the best deal if you plan to come back for multiple days.

Grandstand Events

Grandstand events are included in the price of admission on Friday and Saturday, and also covered by the three-day pass. While the full 2026 grandstand lineup hasn’t been announced yet, past years have featured the Dirt Dash, Demo Derby, and other high-energy motorsport events that draw big crowds. Check the fair’s official site or Facebook page as August approaches for the full schedule.

What to Expect

The Price County Fair is classic Wisconsin. You’ll find livestock exhibitions where local 4-H and FFA kids show off months of hard work with their animals. There are baking and canning contests, horticulture displays, crafts, and photography exhibits. The midway has carnival rides for all ages, game booths, and the kind of fair food that makes dieting irrelevant – cheese curds, corn dogs, funnel cakes, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and the rest.

Thursday is Community & Senior Day, which typically means a slightly quieter atmosphere and special recognition for senior attendees. It’s a good choice if you want to avoid the bigger weekend crowds but still catch the exhibits and rides.

Exhibitor Information

If you want to enter something in the fair – a jar of pickles, a photo, a pumpkin, a quilt – exhibitor entries opened May 1 and run through July 20, 2026. That gives you about six weeks from today to get your entries ready. The fair uses the FairEntry system, and you can submit online at the Price County Fair FairEntry portal. The 2025-2026 Premium Book is also available on the fair’s website with full rules, categories, and prize money details for every division.

Judging takes place on Wednesday through Friday (August 19-21), with the schedule broken out by department. Specific judging times will be posted closer to the fair.

Vendors and Volunteers

The fair is always looking for food vendors and commercial exhibitors. Vendor applications are available on the fair’s website, along with the necessary paperwork and insurance requirements. The fair association is a volunteer-run nonprofit, and board meetings are open to anyone who wants to get involved – meeting minutes and agendas dating back to 2024 are posted on the site.

The 140-Year Legacy

A century and four decades of continuous operation is no small thing. Wisconsin has more county fairs than almost any other state, but hitting 140 years puts the Price County Fair in rare company. It’s outlasted the lumber boom that built Phillips, the Great Depression, and every economic shift that followed, because at its core, it’s not about the rides or the food. It’s about the community showing up for each other.

If you’ve never been, this is the year to change that. And if you grew up going, you already know why you’ll be back.

Making a Weekend of It

If you are coming from out of town, Phillips has a handful of hotels and motels within a few minutes of the fairgrounds. The AmericInn and Budget Inn both sit on Lake Julia Drive, and there are cabin rentals scattered around the flowages if you want something with more space. Park Falls is fifteen minutes north and has additional lodging options.

Beyond the fair itself, Price County is prime Northwoods territory. The Timm’s Hill Trail is a short drive east if you want to climb Wisconsin’s highest natural point. The Flambeau River State Forest has hiking, canoeing, and camping. And if you are in town Thursday night, the Ripsaw Saloon in Prentice is a solid stop for cocktails and live music on the way home After the trail, Ripsaw Saloon in Prentice has hot food and cold drinks.

Getting Involved

The Price County Fair Association runs the show, led by chair Cassandra Bogle and a board of volunteers from across the county. Board meetings are open, and new members are welcome. If you have ideas for next year or want to help plan the 141st edition, showing up to a meeting is the best way to start.

For more information, including schedule updates, vendor forms, and premium book details, visit pricecountyfair.org.

See also: our guide to free camping in Wisconsin, our Price County hiking trail guide, our 48-hour Price County itinerary, our complete lodging guide for Price County and what makes Price County communities special

See also: our guide to every town in Price County

Frequently Asked Questions About the Price County Fair